Echo in my Memory
by RickyDew
Summary: It was a cold December night, when a child playing alone found a best friend and a true love. (UsUk) [Discontinued. Only here for reflection purposes]
1. Chapter 1

_((Hello! OwO Over here it is finally summer! Which means, I can finally have time to try out this idea I have had for a while! Yes, the summery is slightly cheesy, but it was the first thing that came to mind when I thought about it xD! I do hope you enjoy this because I absolutely loved writing it! [Even if I had to rewrite it_ ** _twice_** _, and edit twice cuz of_ _internet problems_ _...x|]))_

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own _any_ of the characters from **Hetalia**!

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It was a cold evening in December, and the sky was set in a sweet cherry red. Light snow dusted around on the ground, and the air was a sharp chill. Everyone around the neighborhood was inside their cozy houses, keeping warm as the winter slowly took hold of the season fully.

'Well, not everyone' I thought lightly as I squished the sand sculpture I was making, laughing quietly to myself at the lopsided shape. I squinted my eyes to try and see it better, but it was no use as the sun was setting fast, diving in and out between clouds as it went down. I messed around some more in the sandbox, content with playing by myself in the silence.

Originally, the sandbox was meant for my brother and me to share, but he really never went outside in the winter, so I claimed it as mine for the time being. He was inside right now since it was warm, and probably playing with his babysitter. It was his only, because I didn't like Francis. The guy just never set with me right, but I trusted him enough to be guarding my brother. I used to have my own babysitter too, but he left a while ago. Three months to be exact, since I had been marking it on the calendar he got me for my birthday. I made sure I knew how long he was gone, so that when he returned, I could be mad at him with proof. Yet, a lot of days had past, and he hasn't come back yet.

I paused my playing in the sand to move around, my legs starting to lose their feeling as I sat on them. Once comfy again in the sandbox, I started to dig near a corner, halting every once in a while to warm my hands by shoving them into my mouth briefly. I grimaced each time I did it, from the gross taste and from the small reminder I got when I remembered the times I did it before, and my babysitter scolded me for it.

Taking my hands out from my mouth and spitting out small grains of sand, I tried not to shiver as I continued my digging. My jacket had been thrown to the side, laying in a pile of snow, and my pants were slightly damp from the wet sand, not helping me keep from the cold. My hands were slowly starting to lose their feeling again, but before I halted again, I felt a blunt object hit the tips of my fingers. I got the motivation to dig faster and finally uncover the small box buried there. I hugged it lightly and smiled to myself, ignoring my chilled hands.

It had been a gift from my babysitter that I kept specially to myself. I had meant to show him the hiding spot the next time he came to babysit...but again, he hasn't showed up yet... He probably wasn't ever going to come back... With that in mind, I forced the box roughly back into the hole and buried it again in frustration. I just couldn't believe it! He never even said good-bye before leaving! I glared at the sand under me, barely noticing how pink my dirty hands had turned from the cold, matching my bare arms.

I then quickly stood, finally bored from playing in the sand, and waited a moment so I wouldn't fall as my legs woke up. When those moments were over, I ran to the house to finally get warm and out from the dimming outside world. Opening the door, I continued to run inside, stopping quickly when I heard the faint stern voice of my old babysitter telling me to close the door and wash my hands. It was always like that the times we played outside, so I automatically ran to the bathroom, briefly forgetting about the door.

I avoided Matthew and his babysitter as I dashed through the halls, making my way to the sink. I borrowed the stool we used to reach better, and after washing my hands, I slowly made my way back to close the door. I was in the middle of the hallway when I ducked to the side and into a dark corner, noticing Francis passing by. He murmured quietly to himself, wondering why it had gotten so cold all of a sudden. I smirked to myself until I realized he was heading towards the backyard door I left open.

No! He couldn't close that door, it was my job! I knew that before I had a chance to stop him, the the sharp click of the door was heard, and I had to duck back into the corner to hide myself as Francis came into the hallway again, back to Matthew. Making sure he was gone, I marched back over to the door, glaring behind me before opening it again to close it with a loud slam. Ha, that would show him! I turned, feeling a little triumphant, and moved to head to my room. Yet, before I could take even two steps away, I stopped again with a thought. Wait, wasn't my jacket still out there?

Turning my heel on that thought, I opened the door again to run out, trying not to squeal at the blast of cold hitting me. It had gotten much darker, the sky now a dull dark gray, when I stepped out in the backyard. I looked around, trying to focus on finding the sandbox. I knew I had amazing vision, but it was proven to be a bit difficult trying to find that boxy lump in the dark. After what felt like minutes I spotted it, moving quickly to grab my jacket. I barely heard the small layer of snow crunching under my feet as I scooped up my jacket, turning to go back inside.

But, as I was turning, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. My eyes were getting used to the dark, and I slowly started to make out a small figure behind the fence of the neighbors yard some feet in front of me. I quickly noticed that the figure was facing me, because I locked eyes with them instantly. I froze my entire body, trying to think of what to do. The person, who I couldn't see all too well, looked to be fidgeting in place, as if they were a small bunny about to run. I was tempted to do the same, but something in my mind clicked. This had to be one of the new neighbors Mother had mentioned to Mattie and me when we got out of school!

"Hi!" I suddenly greeted loudly with a grin, causing the other to flinch and take a step back in surprise. I moved to walk towards them, calling out as I went. "Hey! You don't have to leave! I'm Alfred!" The small figure stopped and seemed to be waiting for me as I made it to the chain-link fence. If it was possible, the sky turned a shade darker making it more harder to see the new neighbor. From what I could still make out was shorter, messy haired, boy that looked my age. He was shorter by a small amount and looked pretty skinny. That was all I noted before I noticed his arm twitch a bit, catching my attention to make me move again.

"Hi." I greeted again, my voice a bit quieter. I held back a small laugh in excitement, waving to the stranger. This time he greeted me back. "..Hello." His voice was soft-light, and slightly shy, and I quickly took a liking to it. "I'm Alfred, I live here." I spoke again. I pointed behind me and grinned wider, though he probably couldn't see it too clearly. I saw him nod and looked behind him briefly, noticing that the lights to his house didn't seem to be on inside. Looking back to him, I smiled. "What's your name?" I asked, making sure to keep my voice from rising. He seemed to be a bit skiddish, probably not used to loud people. Kinda like my brother. A small crunch in the snow told me that he took a step closer, making the space between us shrink, before he responded again.

"My name is Arthur." He introduced back quietly. While I nodded, I noticed his voice was kinda wobbly and that he seemed to be shaking a bit. I already knew that we were out in the cold, and that it was getting darker with each passing minute, but he seemed to be freezing more than I was. Probably because he was kinda small and skinny. Squinting to try and see better, I looked at the gate between us. Finding the lock easily I reached up to unhinge it, struggling only for a second before managing to unlock it and open the gate. Standing back normally, I got his attention. "Hey Arthur, wanna come over? Ya look cold and I got a jacket."

He waited a second before nodding, making me grin again. I let him follow me back to the sandbox before handing him my jacket. When he took it, he looked at it in confusion and curiosity, as if he didn't know what to do with it. I laughed loudly at his expression before taking it back. "Here, lemme help you!" As I helped him put it on, I ignored the obvious weird look he was giving me and zipped him up. After doing so, I patted him on the shoulder, just how my babysitter used to do sometimes. "There you go!"

At the end of my sentence I almost fell back in surprise when Arthur suddenly grabbed me in a tight hug. His head was nudged in between my head and shoulder, and I could barely smell the faint scent of tea on him. "Thank you." He whispered, making my eyebrows furrow in confusion. Was he that cold? I hugged him back though, releasing him after a few seconds. I took a hold of his arm and moved him closer to the sandbox. "Here, we can sit here so we don't get too cold from the snow." I said, smiling. He cautiously looked at the sandbox, before looking back at me again. I laughed once more and gestured for him to sit. "Go for it! It's alright!" He sat down after that and shivered lightly. I noticed and held up a hand for him to halt. "Hey! Wait here, Imma be right back!"

Turning my heel again, I sprinted back over to the house, almost losing my balance as I launched myself inside, moving quickly to the closet full of our winter and play things. Pulling out my ear muffs and putting on Mattie's jacket, I ran back out. Yet, this time, I flicked on our backyard light before making it back to Arthur. He looked behind me for a second before raising an eyebrow in a weird expression. His attention was quickly back on me as I sat down next to him, showing him the ear muffs. "See these? This can help you keep warm too. They go on your head...like this!" I chirped, grinning again. After placing them on his head, he reached to touch them lightly, a calm small smile appearing on his face.

I finally noticed that I now had a clear look on him, with the light shining on us. He had light, messy, golden looking hair with pale skin, noticeable eyebrows, and very deep green eyes. A small twang hit my head when I looked at him clearly, but it was gone before I could really think about it. I smiled again at Arthur, not exactly sure of what to do now. I adjusted Mattie's jacket before Arthur tapped my shoulder. "So...how old are you, Alfred?" He asked, looking comfy, and out of his shell. I puffed my cheeks and sat up straighter. "I'm seven!" He chuckled at my answer before nodding. "So am I."

Widening my eyes at him my mouth dropped in shock. "Really?!" He nodded again. "That's so cool!" I exclaimed in awe. I had never really had a kid my age- except for this one kid during the summer- be in my neighborhood before! Since Matthew didn't really like playing outside and spent most of his time with Francis, I thought Arthur would be a perfect playmate! A friend I could have almost all to myself. Arthur smiled at the expression on my face and before I knew it, we started to ask each other questions. Like a game, back and forth. It wasn't until Matthew spoke up, that I was pushed out of the game.

"...Alfred?" His quiet voice broke through, getting my attention as I was waiting for Arthur to tell me his favorite super hero. I turned to look where he was, seeing that he was wearing an extra jacket, his Pj pants, and shoes. He took another step into the backyard, looking a bit confused. "How come you aren't inside, Al? It's late and dark out...and cold." He shivered lightly at the last part, to follow his point "Oh, I'm just talking with Arthur!" I explained happily. He froze in place for a split second. "Arthur?" He questioned a moment later, messing with his sleeve.

At his question, I realized I had yet to introduce them! I turned sharply to Arthur again, not noticing the nervous face he had on. I gestured back and forth between Arthur and Matthew. "Arthur, meet Mattie, he's my brother. Mattie, meet Arthur, the new neighbor!" Arthur quickly changed his expression, wearing a small smile on his face as he waved to him. I glanced back over to Matthew to see him still standing there. It took a few moments before he responded. He smiled softly and waved back. He had always been shy around new people. Huh, Arthur and him seem to act a lot alike... "It's nice to meet you.. Arthur." Matthew said quietly. The grin was back on my face when he turned to me again. "Al, remember to come in some time later, kay? Mom is coming home soon." I nodded and gave him a thumbs up. He accepted my answer quickly and turned to go back into the house, shutting the door behind him.

I turned again to Arthur to see his eyes lingering on the door where Matthew had left. "Arthur?" I asked, getting his attention quickly again. He smiled brightly at me before messing around with some of the sand next to him. "Do you like building things?" He asked, making me nod and smile once again. We then went back to questioning each other for a while. It wasn't until I saw a light coming to my left, when we stopped again. I heard the engine of a car fade in loudly, then cut off, causing me to frown lightly. "I think that's my mom." I said slowly, glancing back at my neighbor.

Arthur quickly stood while nodding, shrugging off my jacket and ear muffs. "Then I think it's time I went home, Alfred. It was nice...meeting you! I hope to see you again soon." His voice seemed to be cheerful as he put the jacket into a bundle. The frown on my face grew deeper and I furrowed my eyebrows, standing as well. "Do you hafta go?" I whined lightly, taking a hold of the jacket as he handed it to me. He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again when the sharp noise of the car door closing sounded. Crunched footsteps were heard, and I could feel my attention drift as I looked back towards the fence. "I believe so. I wish you a good-night, Alfred." Arthur continued lightly after a moment. He put the earmuffs on my head and gave me another tight hug. I couldn't exactly hug him back though, because my arms were full, so I head butted him lightly.

I pouted slightly as he smiled once more and turned to leave. "Later, Arthur." I called out, watching him give a wave in response, moving passed the gate and out of my sight behind a big bush to his home. I turned towards my house and ran back, trying not to fall as I did so. Opening the door with some difficulty, I got inside and put away the jackets. Closing both doors I took my shoes, and earmuffs, off and patted my hair down, then moved to greet Mother.

She gave me a hug and commented in a light tone on how cold I was. That was it, when she moved me towards the bathroom so I could brush my teeth, starting to talk with Francis. I frowned at him, but made my way to the bathroom again. I found Matthew who was finished and was leaving to go to Francis or Mother's side. He gave me a small high-five before continuing. I looked passed him outside the bathroom to notice Francis gesture to where I was, my Mother looking a bit confused while nodding to whatever he was saying. I scowled at him this time and carried on to brush my teeth.

When I was done I went to my bedroom and marked another day from the calendar before changing into my Pj's. Mother came in a moment later to tuck me in since she got off early tonight. She set my stuffed alien Tonny next to me and kissed my forehead. I was going to mention my new friend to her, but I felt too tired to do anything but murmur a goodnight and fall asleep quickly, dreaming about Hero's...and Arthur.

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-The next day-

I couldn't help but laugh loudly as the bus hit another bump, causing everyone to fly up a few inches. Arthur squeaked as he landed, looking frightened when he gripped the seat in front of him to keep stable. Looking at me widely with his green eyes, he tried to speak again. "A-And you're sure... This i-is _normal_..?!" I nodded and yelped myself at an unexpected bump which sent us into the air again. After landing I moved to quickly put my backpack in my lap again. When I was sure that another bump wasn't near, I decided to finally reassure my friend. "Don't worry! We're almost to school!" He looked relieved at that, but couldn't help letting out another yelp as the bus hit another bump.

When we got to the school and unloaded, I really thought Arthur was going to kiss the ground and stay there forever. While it was funny to see him rolling around, trying to hug the ground, I knew we needed to get to school. It did take a few moments to convince him to get off of the pavement, but when he stood I pulled him after me to school. I made sure to keep a close eye on him when putting away my things in a cubby, so he wouldn't disappear. He kept close to me though, looking around in curiosity and awe at everything. I then gave him a small tour, showing him the different classes and the playground. I did brush off anything he said about the other kids though, also making sure that we didn't run into anyone on the tour.

I didn't want to lose my new friend so easily, and I didn't want him to leave when he met the other kids. I lost too many friends already when they met the other kids, so I had to be careful. Arthur didn't seem to question why we kept avoiding them though, so I knew I was doing okay. We had stopped the tour when I noticed that Matthew was being scolded by a teacher. It was probably because he was carrying around his white stuffed bear, yet, I felt my temper begin to rise as Matthew looked slightly scared, and took a step forward to defend him.

"Good-Morning Alfred!"

I stopped in my tracks and turned to find Matthew's actual teacher behind me. The anger flew out of my system and I forced a smile. "Good-Morning Miss. Ramsure." I drawled out, seeing Arthur look at her with questioning eyes. "And how are you doing?" She asked, a bright smile on her face. At this question I glanced at Arthur again before grinning. "I'm doing great! I have been showing Arthur all around the school!" I gestured to him and glanced back at her. She had a split second of shock on her face before it changed into confusion. With a smile she furrowed her eyebrows. "Arthur?" I nodded and pointed to him. "Yep! He's a new student! He moved in next door to my house!" Arthur in turn waved shyly as she understood, smiling brightly again. "Oh! Well, Good-Morning to you too, Arthur! I hope to see more of you two soon!" She chirped, waving back at him, before checking her watch.

"Ah, class is almost starting, boys. You both should probably get going!" She patted my head with another smile before moving off and going to her classroom. I turned to Arthur, who looked pretty smug, before pulling on his arm. "Who's class are you in?"I asked, hoping he was in mine. He wiped the expression on his face before pointing to the classroom on the left. "Mr. Kells." I pouted instantly. "Aww! I have Mrs. Simmons..." Arthur patted my shoulder and gave me a soft smile. "Don't worry, I'll hang out with you at lunch!" I felt my heart beat faster at this, causing me to grin again. "Okay! See you then Artie!" I waved excitedly at him, before moving to run to my classroom, not wanting to be late. In the back of my mind, as I sat down at my desk, I was happy Arthur didn't want to leave me to hang out with the other kids. It meant a lot that he was going to be my friend. With that thought in mind, I knew that later, we would be the best of friends.

-Time skip-

It was dinner time and I was at home, babbling to Mother on how Arthur almost fell on his face during recess. She wasn't exactly paying attention as she set down our plates, moving to sit down herself after. I paused my story, waiting as she filled her glass with orange juice, a little impatient for her to listen. After a few moments, she finally seemed to notice my staring and laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm listening, dear. Now, what about you and your friend?" I nodded excitedly and started to tell her about recess again. She and Matthew were both eating and nodding while I talked, moving my hands to help with the story. "-But then Arthur fell off the monkey bars! He landed on his stomach, but he's okay! He wa- Mom?" I cut myself of when I noticed Mother had choked on a piece of food. At my question, she coughed lightly, cleared her throat and smiled.

"Oh, sorry. I.. I, uh, choked a bit. Now, who did you say fell?" I looked at her in worry before smiling lightly. "Arthur. Yeah, he almost landed right on his face but-" She held up a hand for me to stop. I pouted a bit and waited for her to speak. "Arthur, right?" She asked, locking eyes with me. I nodded, pointing behind me. "Yep! He's one of the new neighbors!" She blinked once before nodding slowly, understanding. "Oh...! I must have forgotten about them for a second. It's good that your making new friends, sweetheart! What does he look like?" She asked, messing with her fork. I blinked once, thinking. "He's got messy yellow hair, and green eyes. Oh, and he's super pale and skinny!" Mother blinked once too, thinking. She shook her head after a second, muttering to herself, making me furrow my eyebrows. She took another drink of orange juice, and I decided that maybe later I could tell her the story again, seeing as my food was going to go bad and that she seemed to be in another world.

I started my dinner when I shoved a couple of bites into my mouth, eating at a slightly faster pace then Mother and Matthew. I was lost in thought as I was eating, thinking on how to see my new friend soon. The closest time would be the bus ride tomorrow, but that felt like forever! I couldn't go outside unless I was with an adult, and Mother didn't really like going outside, so I probably wasn't able to see him tonight either- Unless...!

I had been drinking some juice when the perfect idea popped into my mind. I hit my hand lightly on the table to get Mother's attention, before swallowing the mouthful of juice I had. "Mom! Mom, we should go meet them! Please let's go meet them!" I said in a loud voice, trying the puppy eyes on her. She looked at me in surprise, setting down her fork slowly. "Now?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I glanced at my food once before calming down instantly. "Um...yes?" I said, giving her a weak smile. She sighed lightly in response, shaking her head. I felt my stomach drop in disappointment when she held up a finger. "Not right now, okay? You need to finish your dinner." She paused as I continued to stare at her with sad eyes. "But." She continued, catching my attention. "When your done- and please don't hurt yourself to finish early- we can go see them, alright?" I almost fell out of my seat.

"Really?!" I exclaimed in shock. Mother nodded, smiling. "Of course. I can see you really want to see you friend too, so I won't let you suffer in silence." Her voice held a mocking tone at the last part, but I was too excited to notice. "Mom?" Matthew pipped up, catching our attention. "Yes, sweetie?" Mother questioned back, smiling softly. "I think it would be nice if we made cookies for them too. They might not have any yet, and it's close to Christmas!" He said, looking slightly worried. I widened my eyes at his point.

That's right! If Arthur didn't have any cookies around, he couldn't give them to Santa! He might not get any presents! "Mom, we _have_ to make them some cookies!" I chimed in after him. At both of our looks, Mother held up her hands to defend herself. "Woah you two...! I am totally up for making some cookies, but you need to finish your dinner before we talk more about this." As if the promise of actually making cookies later was a key word for us, Mattie and I quickly started on our dinner again, not another word said. Yet, when I took another drink, I couldn't help but squirm in excitement.

After dinner, we cleaned up the table, watching as Mother cleaned the dishes at the sink, itching to get started with the cookies. "Boys?" She suddenly asked, looking at us. "Yeah?" Mattie and I responded back. She smiled and moved her head in the direction of the living room. "Why don't you both go pick out a movie? We can watch it while the cookies bake."

I nodded and hopped down first from our stool, waiting for Matthew to join me. We left the kitchen into the living room after promising to return quickly. I let Matthew pick out the movie by himself, since the amazing idea for cookies came from him. When he decided on which one we were going to watch, we returned back to Mother, who had quickly made the cookie dough, waiting for us to pick out shapes for the cookies.

Matthew had picked out a candy-cane shape, I picked out a star, and Mother got the tree one. We all made a piles worth of cookies, setting them on to a pan so they could cook. We had two pans ready, but one could go in at a time. Before the first one went in, I made sure to pick out the coolest looking one for Arthur. It ended up being the first star I made, one of it's points missing. I thought it looked more like a Hero with a battle wound, so it was automatically the best. Keeping track of where it was placed, Mother put the cookies into the oven, then moved to usher us out of the kitchen to watch the movie.

While Matthew and I watched the movie, Mother went back a few more times in the kitchen, trading out the cookies while putting the hot ones to cool. When she came back for the third time, she paused the movie, glancing at us. "Ready to decorate?" She asked, even though both of us ran to the kitchen immediately, jumping on the stool eager to get started. We frosted half of the cookies because it was getting late, and Mother didn't want us to trip on the sidewalk if was too dark. We quickly put the cookies into a container, the one I made for Arthur right on top, covered in frosting and sprinkles.

I ran to put my shoes on, grabbing my jacket too. When I went into the living room again, Mother was waiting for me by the door, talking with Matthew. "Mattie, we'll be gone for only a few minutes. Are you sure you want to stay here?" She asked, a concerned look on her face. Matthew just nodded playing with his stuffed bear. "I wanna watch the movie some more." He said, giving her a soft smile. She sighed lightly and smiled back. "Alright, just be safe, okay? Come on Al, before it gets too dark out." She held her hand out, opening the door. I put on my jacket and grabbed the container, took her hand and followed her out of the house.

I sucked in a breath of the cold air, shivering lightly as we started to walk to Arthur's house. I almost hopped with each step I took, excited to see my friend again. Mother scoffed in amusement at my actions. "Ya know, if you keep bouncing like that, you might slip." She commented, stepping over a small frozen puddle. I looked down, careful not to slip as I went over it, holding on to her hand tightly for balance. When we finally made it to Arthur's house, taking a right to go on another sidewalk that led up to a porch, I almost let out a squeal of joy.

Mother knocked on the door a few times, checking that the lights were on inside the house before taking a step back to wait. We waited a few moments before the door opened. A lady appeared and smiled lightly when she saw us. "Hello!" My Mother greeted. "I'm Vanessa Jones, I live next door. We wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood!" She gestured to me as she spoke, a friendly smile on her face. The lady seemed to brighten up at Mother and stuck out a hand. "Thank you! I'm Bridgette Kirkland. It's lovely to meet you." I blinked slightly in surprise. She had a soft-light voice like Arthur!

While Mother shook her hand, I glanced behind her to try and spot Arthur. Yet, before I could see anything, the lady bent down to see me better. "Hello, dear! What's you name?" I looked at her and grinned. "I'm Alfred F. Jones! Nice to meet you ma'am!" I stuck out my hand like she did, but accidentally stuck out the box of cookies. She laughed lightly as I switched my hands, and shook it when I offered it again. She stood up straight again, moving back to open the door more. "Why don't you two come in for a moment. It's quite chilly out there!" She shivered lightly to make her point, letting Mother and I in her toasty house. Mother thanked her and started to talk with her as I looked a bit around the house.

I didn't look around very much before spotting Arthur. He was coming down stairs when I noticed him. "Artie!" I called out, letting go of Mother's had to run over to him. I gave him a small hug, beaming brightly when I let go of him. "Alfred! What are you doing here?" Arthur chirped back, furrowing his fuzzy eyebrows. I pointed back at Mother, not noticing that both adults were staring at me, and tugged on his arm to follow me. "Mom, this is Arthur! Arthur, this is my Mom!" I introduced, grinning. A small gasp was heard to my left, making me look over to see Arthur's Mother moving a step back. She stopped when my eyes landed on her. "Oh, I think I left something in the oven!" She explained quickly with a nervous tone, turning to face my Mother, she gestured her to follow after taking a few steps forward. "I think I am going to need some help, is that alright?"

"Oh, of course." Mother quickly said, following her to the kitchen. Before she disappeared she moved to me and lightly put a hand on my head. "Alfred, why don't you and..Arthur go sit on the couch. We can meet properly in a bit, kay?" I nodded, looking over to Arthur as he watched my Mother go. I pulled lightly on his arm so we could sit. "We brought you cookies!" I said happily. "We didn't want Santa to get mad at you if you didn't have any, so here! There's a special one for you on top too!" I moved the box towards his hands. He didn't take it though, only smiling at me instead. "Thank you! But, I think my Mom should be in charge of those. It's almost time to go to bed, so I don't need the sugar." he replied, moving the box back to me. I shrugged and set the box on my lap, deciding to continue that game we were playing. "So, what's your favorite super hero Artie?" I asked, hopping a bit on the couch to get comfortable. He glanced a bit around before answering, a smile on his face again. We started the game of questions, once again stopping when my Mother and Arthur's came from the kitchen a while later.

"Alfred, honey. Mommy's got a headache and we need to go home." I blinked once and pouted. I never liked it when Mother got headaches. It meant she was working too hard again... Yet, I wanted to continue the game with Arthur... "Do we gotta?" I asked, trying not to whine obviously. She nodded once while Arthur's mom glanced at us. "During your winter break, Arthur is welcome to come over any time, so don't worry. Just as long as he makes sure it was okay with his mother first." Mother held her head lightly as Arthur's Mother nodded too. "And Alfred is always welcome here too." She chipped in, a small smile still on her face.

I moved to get off the couch, adjusting my jacket when I stood. I looked at Arthur who got off to stand beside me. He patted my shoulder lightly when he noticed my pouting. "Good-Night Alfred. I'll talk with you tomorrow!" He said lightly, going to his Mother. I did the same with mine, taking a hold of her hand again. "Oh, by the way, Alfred and his brother made you some cookies." Mother said, handing the box to his Mother. She nodded and thanked us. I smiled back before Mother decided it was time to leave. We left in a slight hurry because it was getting really dark, and it was my bedtime.

When we entered the house again, Mother found that Matthew had fallen asleep while watching the movie. She carefully scooped him up after taking her jacket off, telling me to go change into my Pj's. I did as told as she went to put Matthew to bed, also marking another day off the calendar. I was in my bed already with Tonny when she came back to tuck me in. She kissed me on the forehead, wished me a goodnight and turned to my lamp. And just like the lamp, I was fast asleep as soon as it was turned off.

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 _((I already admit that I made a small mistake with making it too detailed for a 7yr kid POV, but it calls for it. *CoughReadEnder'sGamecough* o.o Excuse Arthur being a bit OOC, again it calls for it here. Also, about the title...it was just something that, again, came to mind when I first thought about it x3. I hoped you like it! If you see any mistakes, feel free to mention it. ^.^))_

Review! I love to hear your thoughts!

 _ **-RickyDew**_


	2. Echo Notes (I'm sorry)

_[Hello! So, basically what this chapter is, is what I planned out for this story. Sadly, it won't ever be written out fully, but this may give some type of closure to the people who were a bit curious. Also, this includes the sequel of this story which is in Arthur's POV. Thank you for your time~]_

 _[If some scenes seems a little more detailed compared to others, they were the main things I had planned out for this story.]_

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 **-Chapter 2-**

This chapter takes place 6 years after Alfred first met Arthur. The boys are 13, and they are about to go into 7th grade.

Alfred, Matthew, and Arthur are going to the park since it's their last day of summer. When they arrive at the park, there is a bit of confrontation between Alfred and Matthew when the topic of Matthew's stuffed bear comes up. It causes Alfred to go with Arthur over to the other side of the park to play.

A few other kids show up and Alfred befriends one of them, hoping to have more friends when school starts. When school does start, Alfred finds the person at lunch and invites them to hang out with him and Arthur (not Matthew yet because they haven't made up) but to his surprise the kid rejects the offer and calls him crazy. Although shocked, Alfred is quick to ask why, and the person responds with that he is always just talking to air and they don't need that kind of person around them.

Alfred turns over to Arthur to prove that he isn't crazy, but the other boy is suddenly gone. Alfred is then forced to retreat from the person and runs outside to the play ground. He finds Arthur there, but the other boy seems to be deep in thought, muttering to himself occasionally. Alfred gets Arthur's attention and after a conversation, Alfred decides that he doesn't need other friends when he has Arthur with him. (He does make up with Matthew though, and they create a cute trio)

A few weeks later, the two boys are in the library (Matthew is at the other side of the library, browsing through the book shelves) just sitting at a table when a group of kids appear. They then start to taunt and make fun of Alfred for still talking to himself, occasionally poking and shoving him. Alfred tries to defend himself and use Arthur as proof that he isn't, but when he turns to look at him, Arthur had disappeared again. The confrontation with the group of kids leaves Alfred fleeing the library, not only with a wounded cheek, but hurt feelings as well.

When he is back at home, Alfred goes into his backyard to process his day. It takes him a while to notice Arthur coming up next to him, but when he does, he gets angry. The two then get into a fight that has Arthur storming back to his house and Alfred kicking up dirt in the yard.

It takes only four days and a bro talk with Matthew before Alfred makes up with Arthur. The chapter ends with them having a stronger friendship.

 **-Chapter 3-**

This chapter takes place 3 years later, during school when the boys are 16, in 10th grade.

Alfred is starting to notice that he is developing a fondness towards Arthur. Yet, at first, this is mostly in the background as he is just catching himself when he looks at Arthur for too long and noting some unique features his friend has.

Although Alfred is content with his trio of friends, he does try and make new ones during the years. Yet, he is constantly rejected and given weird looks. It isn't until a new student shows up, that he gains a new friend. This new friend comes in the form of a girl that had instantly become smitten with Alfred the moment she saw him, but she makes sure not to be too obvious when they talk (mostly because Alfred is around friends).

One day as Alfred and Arthur were hanging out in the library, the girl shows up. She looked to be determined as she sits down and starts chatting with Alfred, slowing moving towards him and openly flirting. Alfred gets a little flustered at the attention and looks over to Arthur for help, but finds that the other boy is immersed in a book.

Alfred tries to brush off the girl, raising his voice loud enough to get Arthur's attention, saying that his friend might not appreciate her PDA attempts. The girl quickly stops and visibly becomes angry. She then starts to go on a rant on how the other student's were right in warning her about Alfred. That he even used his 'invisible friend' to reject her. She then leaves in a huff, telling Alfred to never talk to her again.

Alfred is kind of shocked at this, but his main focus was how she could brush off his friend so easily. He speaks his thoughts out loud as he goes into detail on what a catch Arthur was, but stops when he notices what he's saying. Arthur in turn is still reading the book, but he has a visible blush on his cheeks. Alfred brushes the situation off then, but starts to wonder if he was growing feelings for his friend. (this is the start of romantic growth)

After school ends, Alfred is home again and he finds that Matthew's old babysitter, Francis, is visiting. Everyone is in the living room, chatting for a while until his Mother gets up and requests that Matthew help her start dinner. This gives an opening for Alfred, who was still questioning his feelings from earlier, who then asks Francis for advice. The elder quickly states that Alfred has a crush on his friend, and if he feels it's right, he should try and flirt with him. Alfred considers this and decides to try and go for it.

It isn't until a week of cheesy pick up lines and a lot of compliments that Alfred starts to notice something. Whenever Arthur _brushes_ him off, he does it in an almost parental way. Almost as if he were acting like his Mother instead of someone his age, like he wasn't taking him seriously. Alfred then decides to make his feelings clear just in case Arthur wasn't getting that Alfred wanted to pursue a relationship with him. (He is determined, and only a clear rejection will have him back off.)

This happens during school when Alfred is running a paper down to the office. He notices Arthur next to the lockers and stops to send a pick up line his way. Yet, just as Alfred expected, Arthur brushes him off. Alfred then awkwardly mentions that he treasures Arthur deeply, heavily implying that he _liked_ him. This has Arthur's attention for a moment, but he laughs it off, which starts to make Alfred a bit flustered.

Alfred then states that he likes Arthur, but this time he get the response 'You're too young to talk about stuff like this.' which causes Alfred to get mad and push Arthur against the lockers. He then starts to rant on how Arthur was treating him like a child and that it wasn't fair when they were the same age. It goes on for a bit longer and he ends the rant with how he should be treated like an equal, rather than a little brother.

Arthur seems very shocked about this and stays quiet. Seeing as he wasn't getting a response, Alfred, not thinking too clearly, gives him a chaste kiss.

Arthur quickly shoves Alfred off at this, his face turning red and stuttering on how 'wrong' this was. Alfred quickly feels regret as Arthur then runs off, a look of horror in his eyes.

It isn't until later, at home, when Alfred sees Arthur again. Alfred has had time to think about his actions, but is a bit scared to start a conversation, fearing that his closest friendship was coming to an end.

Yet, to his surprise Arthur makes the first move by giving him a kiss on the cheek. He then follows it by telling Alfred that their friendship wasn't going to end, explaining that what he had said earlier was a slip of the tongue. Arthur admits that he returns Alfred's feelings, but felt that it was such a sudden confession that he didn't have time to think during the situation, causing him to run away.

Alfred understands this and hugs Arthur, thankful that they didn't have to end their friendship. They talk for a little while before they both wish each other a good night, leaving to their houses with a stronger bond.

(They do begin dating, but keep it under wraps due to their school and that Arthur is a bit nervous about it.)

 **-Chapter 4-**

This chapter takes place 2 years later, when the boys are graduating at age 18.

Alfred is on his way to graduation, yet arrives a bit late because he had misplaced his hat. He accidentally misses Arthur walking, but makes it in time to do it himself. As he is standing on the stage, he quickly finds his Mother, flashing a smile to her. He tries to look for Arthur's Mother, and maybe Arthur himself, but fails to as he walks down the stage. As he stands with his peers, he finally finds him when the last student walks, trying to question why the other's mother wasn't here, but he is distracted when everyone starts throwing their hats. (Yaaaaaay~)

Once Alfred gets his hat again, he quickly goes to his Mother, noticing that Matthew was already there and hugging her. After chatting happily with his family on how they made it, Alfred feels eyes on his back. He turns and sees multiple people quickly look away from his direction, causing him to question why they were staring. He brushes it off quickly though and decides to find Arthur and gush about graduating.

Alfred has to pass by a lot of people, looking everywhere in the crowd for his favorite blonde. It doesn't take him long to notice that as he searches, he can hear people whispering and looking at him. He ignores this but inwardly curses at them for still being immature towards him.

After a while, when makes it back to the edge of the crowd and to his family, he finds Arthur again. He quickly questioned where the other was at, but Arthur just excused it as looking for the bathroom to change out of his robe. Shrugging, Alfred accepts this and makes plans with his Mother so that he can walk home with Arthur.

The two then split from his family (Matthew is going to wait a bit and walk home with his girlfriend) and start walking home. Alfred comments a bit on his brother's relationship, noting that the two were going to move in together soon. Arthur nods at this but doesn't take the hint when Alfred continues on how great it is when a couple moves in together. It takes a few more minutes when Alfred just decides to ask Arthur to move in together somewhere. Arthur is hesitant at this, but after a bit of convincing he agrees.

They then continue walking in a comfortable silence. As they are about to turn a corner on the sidewalk, they notice one of their graduation peers standing there, along with the girl from a few years ago. (It seems they are in a relationship)

Alfred is tempted to walk another way, but doesn't get to think about it much when the pair call out to them. They then start to mock Alfred and Arthur, trying to rile them up when Matthew and his girlfriend appear.

The bully pair try to torment the newcomers too, but Matthew's girlfriend (plz imagine any pairing u want there) tells them to back off, using a bit of blackmail on the girl bully as extra backup. The bully pair then leave, and Matthew advises Alfred and Arthur to get home as soon as possible, mentioning that there were probably other people who wanted to pick on them too. Alfred agrees and pulls along Arthur with him.

As they were arriving at their houses, Alfred goes onto the topic of how a lot of people always called Arthur invisible, questioning why they did that. He doesn't give room for an answer, instead going on a mini role of complimenting him and saying that it was the their loss. Arthur flushes at this and punches him in the shoulder before kissing him and leaving for his home. Alfred hums as he leaves, glad that he has the other around.

There is then a time skip to where Alfred and Arthur are now in an apartment together. It is now Alfred's 19th birthday.

During the day, he visits his Mother and Matthew, swapping greetings and small stories (seeing as it's been only a few weeks) till late afternoon. He then spends the rest of the evening with Arthur (imagine whatever cute stuff you want) creating sweet and special memories.

It's then the next day and Alfred wakes up alone, assuming that Arthur has already gone out to work. Alfred then decides to take a small stroll to pass the time.

When a few hours pass, he's back in the apartment messing around the house, waiting for Arthur to return. As he is doing that, his phone starts to ring. He looks and sees that it's his Mother.

Alfred answers the phone and his Mother tells him that she was looking around the yard and found a box peeking out of the sandbox. She remembered it being Alfred's and wanted him to stop by to pick it up soon. He promises to do so and they hang up.

More time passes by after that and it's late in the night (11PM) when Alfred starts to feel really worried that Arthur hadn't shown up yet. He then realizes that he doesn't even know where Arthur works or even when he got the job. He decides to wait just a bit longer before going out to search for him, trying to reassure himself that he was freaking out over nothing.

When it's almost 1AM, Alfred puts on a set of clothing and goes around town, searching for Arthur. He spends the entire night doing so, panicking more and more when he finally notices that he doesn't have Arthur's number or even a picture of him. The scene ends with Alfred feeling worried and scared to what happened to him.

It skips to a week later. After spending the entire week searching, Alfred is now at a loss at what to do. He has tried multiple times searching around town and going to the police office to put in and check the missing persons list, but his best friend hasn't been found. He recalls every time he asked another person about Arthur, only remembering that he got strange looks and responses each time. He tried to brush it off, but the thought kept coming back to him.

It isn't until he goes through everywhere he's checked that he remembered that there may be one last option.

 **-Chapter 5-**

Alfred is a bit scared to be knocking on this door, but before he could back out, Arthur's Mother opens it and quickly invites him in. They have a small conversation before Alfred snaps and blurts out that Arthur has been missing for a week, apologizing for keeping it from her. He tries to explain that he has been looking non-stop, but she only cuts him off gently.

As much as he was expecting her to start panicking, she just told him to stay seated on the couch while she got tea for them. Alfred just sits in silence, feeling a wall of uncertainty surround him as he waited for her to return.

When she did come back, he noticed that along with two cups of tea, there was what appeared to be a picture frame and newspaper in her arms. Alfred didn't mention this as she set everything down on the table, he only waited for her to start speaking.

When she did, she started off with a small smile on her face, saying that she always found Arthur to be a good boy. Alfred questioned this in his mind, but kept silent as he listened to her, noting that her words seemed to be practiced, as if she had said them more than a thousand times.

She continued speaking on what Arthur did growing up before reaching over to the newspaper and explaining that she sometimes felt as if it were for nothing.

As she handed over the newspaper, she quietly told Alfred that her Arthur had died 12 years ago, at the age of 23. Alfred froze at this, skimming over the words on the newspaper that read something about a drunk driver killing someone, before looking up to her in disbelief.

He took in a deep breath before shaking his head and denying what she said, trying to tell her that her son was actually 19 and currently missing.

She looked down in her lap before meeting eyes with a confused Alfred again, asking him to tell her about his childhood, before he met his best friend.

Although perplexed, Alfred found himself doing as told, trying to recall the little memories. All he could pull out was that his Mother was always busy and that he and his brother needed babysitters. As he said that, he then remembered that they had two babysitters. When he finished saying that, he was then asked what his babysitters name was, also being handed the picture frame.

It wasn't until he looked at the picture that everything clicked into place.

(This scene is a flashback/summary to when Alfred was 6)

When he was only 6 years old, Alfred had found himself running into 22 year old Arthur crying. (This will be explained more in the sequel)

After being shushed and fed ice cream, he had found himself sitting on a bench, looking up at a rainbow.

Then, his Mother arrived with Matthew in her arms, talking with Arthur. They had a brief conversation before they said good bye to each other.

Arthur then became Alfred's babysitter.

It was a while later when one day in early October, Arthur didn't show up to babysit, leaving Alfred upset.

(End flashback. Note*Some of this was said out loud.)

Arthur's Mother had listened to his retelling, only speaking when he finished, correcting that Arthur didn't just leave him like he had thought.

They then sat in silence as Alfred processed this information. It made sense and there was proof, but it just didn't explain why there was an Arthur missing now. He said this out loud, trying to figure it out when he noticed the smile in front of him. With a gentle voice, he was then told that to everyone around him, Arthur didn't exist. She, along with Alfred's family, knew that when he was a child, he adored his babysitter and when Arthur had passed away, they knew he would have a hard time accepting the news. They were right, but got a surprise when he had denied it completely and created a imaginary friend to cope with everything, just so they could play like they used to.

Although it was an acceptable explanation that made things clearer, Alfred questioned why no one ever told him and let him keep that imaginary version until now. It wasn't until he looked up while asking the question that he noticed that she was holding her head. She had just responded that she didn't know and Alfred, still feeling confused, decided to drop it and try to accept what he had just learned.

It was hard and he muttered to himself that he was always positive that Arthur had been real. He glanced over to see that She appeared to be doing better and listened when she said maybe her boy had become and angel and was sent to watch over him until he grew up.

Alfred almost shot the idea down when he thought about the relationship he and Arthur had, but kept quiet as the fight to think of anything else left him. He quietly stood up and then asked her for the directions to where her son was buried.

 **-Chapter 6-**

Alfred had just got to the sidewalk of the house when he runs into his Mother. She scolds him playfully about not picking up he box she called about a week ago, handing it to him before going back in the house. Alfred looks at the worn box that was covered in sand, recognizing it as a gift from his babysitter. He takes a moment to stare at it before shaking his head and starting to walk.

The next thing he knows is that he finds himself outside a graveyard, sitting on a bench. He was scared to go in, a part of him still wanting to believe that what he had been told was actually a lie.

He glances at the box in his lap, and decides to look in it before going in. Yet, as soon as the lid is off, tears instantly fill his eyes as he looks at what is inside.

Small, old memories resurface as he picks up a wooden soldier painted red, worn from sitting in the box, but still in good condition. He hugs it to his chest, weeping as he faintly remembers receiving the gift, trying to ignore his heart breaking while he cries.

When he calms down a bit more, he notices that underneath another wooden soldier, painted blue, there was a picture. Gently taking it out, he looks to see a himself as a child with an adult Arthur. More tears spill out at the familiar sight of what he thought of as his best friend, and somehow, he gains the courage to go into the graveyard, taking the blue soldier with him.

When he finds Arthur's grave, Alfred starts to accept the cruel reality. He questions his situation only a bit before deciding to block it from his mind as he sets the blue soldier down beside the tombstone. As he stares at the name carved in the stone, he quietly sends his goodbyes and leaves the graveyard.

When he picks up the box holding the remaining soldier and picture, he goes home.

 _*Insert poetic sentence on how Alfred will need to move on and start over- how he decides that to do so he needs to forget but cherish his moments with the angel Arthur... then it leads up to how, when he's ready, he'll revisit it all- derp, derp, derp: he'll be an echo in my memory*_

The end.

* * *

 _(Note* Soooo, I know there must be a bunch of holes in this, but some of it will be explained and covered up in the sequel. As for Alfred accepting this so quickly... Idek really. I made this two years ago, so I'm just writing what I had in my notes and what I had imagined back then. I did add and change around a few things, but I honestly have nothing for this. The ending was kind of vague/sloppy... I honestly did not plan for such a sad ending so it was new to create and write out. Eheh...Sorry if it was anticlimactic or not what you wanted. Anyway, the sequal:_ )

* * *

 _This summary just gives only a bit of explanation to some events that happened ^ here in Arthur's POV._

So, we start out with 22 year old Arthur on a rainy day. He had recently just lost his job and is kinda chilling on a bench in a park. Then, a random kid shows up crying. Arthur quickly calms this kid down (bribing him with ice cream) and decides to stay in place with the kid in case their parent shows up looking for him.

He learns the kids name is Alfred and keeps him entertained when he spots a rainbow in the sky.

The kids parent shows up later and thanks Arthur for watching over him. Arthur says it's no big deal and convinces the now scared kid (who, in the first place, had run from the clinic because he had to get a shot- thinking his mother was going to drag him back there) to go with his parent.

When he manages to convince Alfred to go, his mother comments on how well he gets along with Arthur. Said Englishman brushes it off as experience in dealing with his younger cousin (Sealand~).

The mother continues and it takes a bit more of talking before she offers up a babysitting job. Arthur takes a moment to think about this before agreeing.

 _(I swear if I had the interest I had when creating this story now, there would be a spin-off with the adventures of Babysitter Arthur and kid Alfred. It would involve random scenes and suggestions from reviewers if they were interested in seeing something special)_

It skips to the night (yes, _the_ night) when Arthur is on his way in his car to the Jones's house. Roads are slick and the last thing Arthur sees is bright headlights coming towards him.

It skips again to Arthur now being 'awoken' by a certain Danish angel, informing him of what happened.

To the other angels surprise, Arthur's first concern is leaving Alfred alone down there. (explanation: Alfred's mother had two fathers for her boys, one to Alfred, the other to Matthew. Matthew's father was kinda nutty and tried kidnapping Matthew and taking him into Canada. Matthew got rescued when Francis had recognized the boy and called his mother, knowing a bit of the situation on why they split up, and took him back home. This is why Francis is Matthew's babysitter. This also explains why Alfred dislike's adult men [he was there when Matthew got kidnapped] and how special it was that Alfred took to Arthur so quickly)

It takes a bit of conversation (A main wish of Arthur's was to see Alfred grow up- cuz he was a sweet kid) before the angel decides to bend some of the rules and sends Arthur back down to earth as a ghost. (some of the rules included that only Alfred could see or touch Arthur and that his cover couldn't be blown. with the few limitations, he can move objects weighing less then 10 pounds around. He can also talk with his angel pal whenever if he had a concern.)

We then have Arthur (now in the form of a kid) meet a lonely Alfred. They quickly become friends and all is well (save for a few instances where he had to create Flying Mint Bunny to cover angel pal talking to him) until the time in chapter 3.

Arthur is aware that Alfred is starting to grow feelings towards him and he can't help but feel it's wrong considering that he used to be the teenager's babysitter.

It takes the confrontation of Alfred confessing and Arthur running off before he asks for assistance from his angel friend on what to do.

(this gets complicated, but the only thing I have for an excuse to this age difference thing is: Arthur is tech growing up with Alfred, so if he could just forget that he was his babysitter, it'll be chill [?]. or the whole Vampire type of deal. One has a high age, maybe interacted with their love interest when they (the human) were younger and now that the human had grown up and is pursuing a relationship with the Vampire, it's chill [?]. That or you can come up with something because I had not thought this out well enough before starting to write it. I apologize.)

It ends up with Arthur being chill [?] and growing his own feelings to Alfred.

It then skips to the morning after Alfred's birthday.

Arthur had been informed that his angel friend had been caught and that he needed to return to heaven where he belonged. Arthur is sad about this but accepts it because his wish had been granted. (too see his best friend grow up).

The angels make sure that the people involved had their memories wiped (meaning that they forgot Alfred had an 'imaginary' friend.) and the Jones family (along with Arthur's mother) slowly forgot what happened (save for Alfred himself).

The end.

* * *

 _((Soooooo! That ending was suckier than the first one! That is because this is what current me remembers what past me had planned for this sequel (as in, it was not in my notes and I did this from memory) so.. yeah. I apologize once again for never finishing this. Hopefully this addition won't confuse anyone. I only made it to put in closure and stuff. I hope this isn't as sloppy as I think either...))_

 _[Note* I wish i could've made it more obvious of Arthur acting strange due to his ghostness- but since it was mostly in Alfred's POV, he wasn't supposed to know so I had limits on what I could write. I also wish I could've taken more time to develop chapters 4-6 a bit more before starting to write the story. This just ended up being a crash and burn, but I felt that this should have been added. Not only to possibly give closure to people who were curious, but to myself as well because I felt guilty leaving this story hanging. Though what I probably did was just add confusion and a dis-satisfying ending... Oh well. Lesson learned. Thank you once again for your time~!]_

 ** _-RickyDew_**


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